Skip to main content

Kakogawa Yamate, Fujimi Win National J.H.S. Ekiden Titles

http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/sports/article/20121216000045

translated by Brett Larner

The 20th National Junior High School Ekiden Championships took place Dec. 16 on the Yamaguchi Prefectural Seminar Cross-Country Course in Yamaguchi. Hyogo's Kakogawa Yamate J.H.S. won the six-stage, 18.0 km boys' division in 56:51, while Fujimi J.H.S. of Gunma took the five-stage, 12.0 km girls' race in 40:20.

In its sixth appearance at Nationals Kakogawa Yamate's victory was decided in an exciting photo finish with rival Eishin J.H.S. of Saitama, both schools being given the same time after Eishin anchor Daiki Ito ran down a 41-second margin to Kakogawa Yamate's Yuki Sakamoto. Tochigi's Shioya J.H.S. took 3rd, while last year's champion Kushigata J.H.S. of Yamanashi could do no better than 18th.

In its second time running Nationals Fujimi broke the existing course record. Okubo J.H.S. of Hyogo was 25 seconds back in 2nd, while defending champion Niihama Higashi J.H.S. of Ehime fell short of its goal of a title defense, finishing 3rd.

2012 National Junior High School Ekiden Championships
Yamaguchi, 12/16/12
click here for complete results

Boys - 6 stages, 18.0 km, 48 teams
Top Teams
1. Kakogawa Yamate J.H.S. (Hyogo) - 56:51
2. Eishin J.H.S. (Saitama) - 56:51
3. Shioya J.H.S. (Tochigi) - 57:02
4. Toyo J.H.S. (Osaka) - 57:04
5. Yamagata Daiju J.H.S. (Yamagata) - 57:18

Stage Best Performances  - all stages 3.0 km
First Stage - Kakeru Nakamura (Hagi Higashi J.H.S.) - 8:59
Second Stage - Chikashi Ikeda (Kakogawa Yamate J.H.S.) - 9:02
Third Stage - Koyo Shigedome (Mimata J.H.S.) - 9:17
Fourth Stage - Hikaru Sakata (Shiranui J.H.S.) - 9:18
Fifth Stage - Takuma Yanagi (Kakogawa Yamate J.H.S.) - 9:21
Sixth Stage - Daiki Ito (Eishin J.H.S.) - 9:04

Girls  - 5 stages, 12.0 km, 48 teams
Top Teams
1. Fujimi J.H.S. (Gunma) - 40:20 - CR
2. Okubo J.H.S. (Hyogo) - 40:45
3. Niihama Higashi J.H.S. (Ehime) - 40:51
4. Nakamura J.H.S. (Tochigi) - 40:59
5. Kawanakajima J.H.S. (Nagano) - 41:11

Stage Best Performances
First Stage (3.0 km) - Namiko Nagayasu (Niihama Higashi J.H.S.) - 10:03
Second Stage (2.0 km) - Yuna Wada (Kawanakajima J.H.S.) - 6:32
Third Stage (2.0 km) - Misato Kaneko (Fujimi J.H.S.) - 6:34
Fourth Stage (2.0 km) - Hinano Tanabe (Fujimi H.S.) - 6:34
Fifth Stage (3.0 km) - Fukiko Ando (Okubo J.H.S.) - 9:44

Comments

Most-Read This Week

'Kobe 2024: Aitchison, Athmani Lead Record-Breaking Thursday'

  https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-aitchison-athmani-lead-record-breaking-thursday Complete results and daily schedule from the Kobe World Para Athletics Championships are here .

Hirayama Breaks Osaka Half CR, Martinez Set Puerto Rican NR

The Osaka Half Marathon took another big step up the domestic half marathon rankings from a mass-participation race run alongside the Osaka International Women's Marathon to one of the country's top-tier races. In the women's race, the debuting Jecinta Nyokabi (Denso) went out fast, only to be run down by veteran Yumi Yoshikawa (Canon AC) by 10 km. Nyokabi faded to 6th in 1:10:41, but Yoshikawa pushed on to a PB 1:09:14 for the win. Rina Shimizu (Noritz), Yuna Takahashi (Shimamura) and Makoto Tsuchiya (Ritsumeikan Univ.) all broke 70 minutes, Tsuchiya taking the Kansai Region collegiate title in 1:09:32 for 4th overall. Everyone in the top 10 who wasn't debuting ran a PB, a mark of how fast the day was even with cold and windy conditions. The men's race went out on sub-61 pace courtesy of Yudai Shimazu (GMO), then got a big injection of speed when Kyuma Yokota (Toyota Kyushu) took off close to 60-flat pace. Yokota opened a 10-second lead by 15 km, but over ...

Marugame, Beppu-Oita and More - Weekend Preview

After the Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon last weekend Japan's winter road season rolls on with 3 big races Sunday. The Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon has a good field up front in the women's race with 5 runners, Eilish McColgan , Dolphine Omare , Isobel Batt-Doyle , Charlotte Purdue and Yuka Ando , with sub-1:09 bests and the debut of #1 collegiate runner Sarah Wanjiru of Daito Bunka University . 3 men in Marugame have recent sub-60 times, Emmanuel Maru , Richard Etir and Kotaro Shinohara leading the way. Shinohara was one of 2 Japanese men to break 60 at Marugame last year and missed the NR by 3 seconds in 59:30. After a 42:53 CR on his 15.3 km leg at the New Year Ekiden on Jan.1, 45:06 pace for 10 miles, he's looking to pick up at least another 4 seconds this time around. 14 other men in the field are at the 60-minute level, and Chuo University 's sub-28 10000 m runner Yamato Hamaguchi is making a highly anticip...